Granada

          A few weekends ago our group had an excursion to Granada. Just so you know, I really don’t have much to say about it which is probably why I’ve put off writing this blog post. It was a very rainy weekend and about halfway through I began to get sick. I wanted to love it, and I think I would have, under different circumstances.
          Anyway, let’s begin. We began our journey at 8:00 in the morning, that’s when we had to meet. Then it was time for a five hour bus ride to Granada. We stopped for lunch (our host mom made us sandwiches) and then continued. Then we arrived in Granada. Then we checked into our hotels and had free time. So interesting.
          After checking in, we kind of relaxed a bit, we were so weary from being in a bus all day. Just kidding, we’re just lazy. After relaxing a bit, we ventured out for a late lunch/early dinner. Our ISA director recommended we either get kebabs or schawarma. I had a doner kebab and it was delicious. Then we got frozen yogurt. After that… we returned to the hotel and hung out. And by that I mean that we watched TV and lied in bed. Then we met our whole group in the lobby to go see a traditional flamenco dance. On the way we stopped at a lookout point to see the city below and la Alhambra. It was very cool, quite a trek, but worth it.
          After our pit stop, we saw a flamenco show that lasted about an hour or so. Then we went back to the hotel. Then we got ready to go out for the night! Then we waited for it to be late enough to go out. And then we waited some more. Finally around 1:30 ish we decided not to go out. So I went to bed.
          In the morning we had a short walking tour of the city. It was rainy. I had an umbrella but it was kind of miserable. Cold and rainy, yay. After that, lunch time. After that, relax. I was beginning to feel sick at this point too, my throat was starting to hurt and I kept coughing. My remedy was to go shopping. Not much else to do in the rain. First we stopped at a little bakery for a snack. I tried the pionono, special to Granada. It kind of tasted like flan, but it was a small sponge cake like dessert. I don’t know… it was good. Then I came back to the hotel and went to bed early.
          The next morning we all packed up and got on the bus and drove to la Alhambra, the palace that overlooks Granada. We had about a three hour long tour of the place and it was pretty neat. Not rainy, but still cold. Then it was time to get back on the bus and go home.
          And that´s about it. Sorry this post was pointless but I needed to say something. I did have fun… but not as much fun as I wanted to have. If you are family or friends from the US and want to know more… you have to wait until I come home! Ha ha! Only three more weeks though!
          Next post is about my dad and Aunt Jan visiting me in Madrid. And we went to Dublin. I promise that will be more interesting. I’m going to ROME this weekend so look forward to that post as well! I have a feeling I will enjoy this trip very much.

Morocco

                As promised, here is my blog post about my trip to Morocco! It was a week long trip and most of the time we were in some sort of transport. But it was so worth it and I would do it again, even with all the bus travel.

                Our group met around 8:00 in the evening at the bus station, there were 26 students from my program in Madrid and we shared a bus with 26 students from Salamanca. Or was it 28 students from each city? Hm. They had already been on the bus for three hours when we met up with them. We spent the whole night in the bus on our way to Gibraltar where we then had to take a ferry. The bus ride wasn't so bad for me, I’m used to long road trips (thanks mom and dad), and so I slept pretty much the whole time. We had to stop a lot though, there’s a law in Spain that says a bus driver has to stop for 45 minutes after driving for three hours. Something like that, I’m not sure. Anyway, we got to the ferry around 6:00 but it didn't leave until 8:00 so we got to have a small breakfast and wait for the other groups. Students from other cities met up with us as well. The ferry lasted about three hours, I think. I actually don’t know, I was asleep the whole time.

                Finally we got our first view of Africa! And it was rainy and gray. Bummer, but still exciting! After getting off the ferry, we got back on the bus and drove another five or six hours to Fez. By then, we were all exhausted so after our room assignments, we all showered, ate dinner, and went to bed. We stayed at a five-star hotel (!) with nothing around us so even if we wanted to, we couldn't really explore.

My first picture of Africa. I'm a professional, I know.

                In the morning we had a delicious breakfast. Let it be known that I say that sarcastically, by the time my roommate and I got down there for breakfast, all the good stuff was gone so I had a bunch of pastries for breakfast. Actually delicious, but probably not good for me… oh well. After breakfast we all met in the lobby around 9:30 to take our tour of the city. We spent the whole day walking through the Medina, a huge market that takes up most of the city and is very easy to get lost in, unless you know your way. Our tour guide said that Fez has about nine thousand alleys. That’s about nine thousand too many, if you ask me.

                The directors split us all up so that we were with our city and the groups were staggered. Madrid was the last group to leave so we got to sleep in, ha ha. Anyway, our first stop was to see a palace with seven doors, I’m not sure of the significance because I couldn't really hear our tour guide but it was neat. There was another door that we weren't allowed to pictures of but no one knew why. If asked, the police would just say don’t do it. With the threat of having our cameras taken, I don’t think anyone risked it. It didn't look that special anyway, just a brown door with some guards.

Two out of seven doors. Exciting.

Our second mini stop was for about ten minutes, we were up on a high hill and got a view of the whole city, it was very neat. After that we made our actual first stop in the Medina! Our tour consisted of five shops, each with different specialties and we got mini tours of how they make their goods. Our first stop was a ceramics workshop. We got to see how they make the tiles, mosaics, etc. Then we got to explore the gift shop. Since we came in a huge group, we got a discount, twenty percent off of everything, which was nice because some things were expensive. I was tempted to buy a LOT but I didn't want to carry it around all day and neither did I want to spend all my money in one place. I did have my debit card, for emergencies/just in case but I didn't want to use it (although I did later…. oops).  Anyway, I bought a little cup that was about 100 dirhams (Moroccan currency) so with the discount it was only 80, which is about 8€, so not too bad! I figured I could use it for pencils or makeup brushes or something.

Bad ass peacock mosaic table.

                After our ceramics tour we went to a university but we just saw the outside of it. In order to get in, you have to be able to recite the Qur'an by heart with only five mistakes allowed. I don’t think it was a regular university. After that we went to a place where they make and sell rugs. I wanted one but they were REALLY expensive. At least I was able to control myself here. The rugs were really nice, handmade and would be considered cheap in Europe but I didn't have a couple thousand Euros lying around. At this point, we’re all tired and hungry and cranky from walking around all day. The weather was kind of gray and I think it rained in the morning so our feet were all muddy. We really got to experience Morocco here, I think. There was garbage everywhere, dirty cats running around (sad face) and you could tell that Morocco is not a very wealthy country.

                Next we stopped for lunch! We all sat at tables for eight and shared the food in the middle; no one had their own meal. There were about seven little plates and one big one. The big one was couscous with chicken and cooked vegetables. We weren't allowed to eat raw vegetables because we couldn't drink the water and they were probably washed with water. Almost everything we ate the entire time was the same, rice/couscous with chicken or lamb, cooked vegetables, potatoes and bread. By the end I was sick of it and really missing Spanish food!

Food. No other description needed.

                After lunch we went to a leather shop and they showed us where they make the leather. Walking in, we were handed sprigs of mint and thank goodness we had them because it smelled outside. They use pigeon poop to make the leather! It has lots of ammonia, apparently, and that’s needed in the process. After, we were shown some leather jackets and the guide showed us how superior real leather is to the fake stuff. He tried to set it on fire, it didn't work nor did it smell. He poured water on it and it just slid right off. We got to feel how soft it was. Ugh, at this point I was very curious. After the demonstration, we got to look at all the goods so I went and asked how much the jackets were. Instead of getting a straight answer, I was told to pick which one I liked the best and try it on. Okay, these salesmen were good. After putting it on, I was told how awesome it looked and how I couldn't buy this in the US for under $700 and how amazing it was and how it’s only $250 in Morocco!

                What! ONLY $250!? I don’t know about you, but to me that’s quite a bit for a leather jacket. I don’t know how this happened but I said I’d take it, that I probably had enough on my debit card (which I had for emergencies, not indulgences, ugh!) and then the price was lowered to $200. So I bought a leather jacket… later I found out that the leather came from baby goats. That is something that I did NOT need to know. Also, turns out that baby animals make better leather because their skin isn't used as much and ugh, hopefully they were sick and dying anyway because that’s kind of horrifying to hear. But it’s really soft and cool looking so I guess it was worth it? It’s this really nice chocolate brown, it almost looks black. Anyway, if push comes to shove I can always sell it in the US for a profit! And apparently I got a good deal, as in, I wasn't ripped off. One of the ISA directors was with me when I was trying it on and she said it looked good. I told her I was concerned that I paid too much. Later, she said that when she called Madrid to check in, she was told that $200 was a good price. Okay, well at least there's that.

A literal poop factory. Ha ha, I'm so funny.

                Anyway, this really goes to show how good the salesmen in Morocco were. I knew that I shouldn't spend that much money on a leather jacket, but somehow it happened. A couple students bought rugs at the rug shop and they said the same thing. They had no idea how they wound up buying these expensive (but really nice) rugs. Oh well, I guess now I get to say that I own a leather jacket from Morocco! And it should last me forever so, that’s cool.

                Our next stop was a spice shop where they sell spices (duh!) and medicines. We were shown some products and got to sample them. It was a cool demonstration, and the goods were cheap! And by cheap I mean not so expensive that I would regret buying it. I bought some mint tea (we were served some at the rug shop, hospitality, and it was really good), some traditional kohl they wear in the desert and a gift for a friend. After making friends with a stray cat (of course I would), we went to our next and final destination.

                Our final stop was a fabric store! There they sold scarves, traditional dresses worn by Moroccans and other fabric wares. I only bought one scarf (for myself); I would have purchased more as gifts but they were also so expensive! I thought Morocco was supposed to be cheap… I could have used my debit card here but it was close to catching fire so I stayed my hand. At this point I think we were all cranky and ready to go, a lot of disgruntled students due to the expensive prices and walking.

Not so cranky that I couldn't goof off.

                After this we all went back to the hotel, had free time for showering or whatever, and then it was dinner time. After dinner, there was an optional show, a traditional Moroccan show with dancing and everything. I think most everyone went but I’m not sure if it was truly enjoyed by everyone, to be honest. We were all tired, almost out of money on the first day, and some people (like me) didn't have good seats and couldn't see as well. It may not have been worth it, but I’m glad I went and got to experience some Moroccan culture. At least some more mint tea was provided!

                The next morning we finally made our way to the desert! And by that I mean that we had a ten hour commute to the Sahara. This was also day one of using the bathroom outside or in little holes in the ground. Our first bathroom break was the forest, so we all scattered. I guess now I understand why we were told to pack toilet paper in our luggage. Actually, I knew from the beginning but whatever. We stopped for lunch for about two hours on the way (same food, boring) and then finally arrived to the 4x4s that were going to take us to our camp. The jeep ride was about an hour long and probably the best part of that day! Our driver was awesome, he went fast so we were airborne a bit and we couldn't see anything because it was so dusty and basically it was a good time. Lots of cheers and whoops from our jeep!

                After arriving at camp, we were shown to our haima (tent) that we would sleep in. It was basically a row of mattresses in the sand, about 50 to one haima… not what I was expecting. The directors made it seem like it would be six beds to a haima but oh well, it wasn't so bad. So we claimed our beds, had some tea, and gazed at the stars while we waited for dinner. You could see everything out there and it got better the further you got from camp. We didn't go too far, too dark for that! The sky really did feel like a blanket, it was very cozy and relaxing, lying down in the sand and looking at the stars.

More goofing off in turbans. I'm sensing a theme. A theme of gratuitous pictures of moi.

                Eventually everyone made it safely and it was time for dinner… which, you guessed it, was the same food we had been served everywhere else. I think the food and so much travel were the only disappointing parts of the trip though. After dinner there was some music and a bonfire but I was exhausted and went to bed but I could hear the music right outside so don’t judge me for not participating! My bed was at the far end so I had the haima wall to my left and only one person to my right, perfect for me.

                At about 5:30, everyone was woken to go see the sunrise. I took a quick little potty break in the sand and joined my friends. There were desert people who acted as guides; they led us to good spots to see the sun. I think we sat in silence for about 45 minutes, just enjoying the view. I think that was my favorite part of the whole trip, just reveling in the fact that I was watching the sunrise in Africa. After the sun rose, our guide led us back and then started showing us little trinkets to sell… Oops. Apparently the guides weren’t free and they at least wanted some kind of tip for leading us to a good spot. Ugh, I told you they were good. I bought a little soap dish for about five Euros, so not too bad, but still kind of frustrating  because he made us believe that they were a LOT cheaper than that at first.

Worth it.

So worth it that you get two pictures.

                Anyway, after being bullied (not really) into buying something, I went back to bed for a bit. Around 9:00 it was time for breakfast, nothing special. Bread, yogurt, jams… same old same old. After chilling for a bit, it was finally CAMEL TIME! A huge caravan of camels was waiting for us; all we had to do was group up and hop on! In my group of six, I was the first to get on but my camel was in the back. He was dark brown and gorgeous and I loved him, we really bonded. I named him Brutus (Buckeye) but later found out that he had already been named Jimi Hendrix. What a stupid name for a camel. But as it turns out, other camels with named Jimi Hendrix so really, the desert people were just being lazy. Brutus was awesome, but a little bumpy. You first get on the camel when they’re sitting and then they stand and I was really unprepared for that, I think I may have shrieked about. Not because I was scared, just shocked.

Can you see the fear in my eyes? No, you can't. There wasn't any.

                So we rode the camels for a while until we came upon this really tall dune. Time to dismount and climb that dune! I gave Brutus some pet pets before I left him and I think he liked it. I told you, we bonded! Next, time to trek that dune. I did it, but it was hard. I got so much sand in my shoes, I was sweating and breathing hard and chugging water but I did it. Okay, it wasn't that bad, not even that tall but I’m still proud of my accomplishment. I didn't stay up long though; I was really shaky and felt like I needed to sit so I went back down with a friend, who wasn't feeling well. Turns out on top of the hill you could see the Algerian border. Oops, I didn't see it but I got a 360 degree view so even though I don’t know exactly when I saw the border, I still saw it. And that’s good enough for me.

What a monstrous dune! Marvel at the sheer size of the beast!

                After everyone climbed back down, we got back on our camels and rode to a little town. Time to say goodbye to our camels, for good. I still miss you, Brutus! We went to a house or something, I have no idea where we were, but there was a pool and you could buy drinks so I think we stopped just to relax. We all circled the pool, put our feet in, and had a nice little break. Then it was time to move on and go to another shop to see… RUGS. Again… but they had mint tea! We poked around there for a while then walked back to camp. Then it was lunch time, nothing to really say about that.

We'll always have Paris. I mean, Morocco.

                I would have like to take a nap after lunch, but it was too hot in the haimas. It was cooler outside the tents! Some guys had cards so we played cards for a while. Desert people (I don't know what else to call them?), or desert women, I guess, came to do henna tattoos. They kept asking me if I wanted one but I didn't have much money and I don't like writing or drawings on my arms, I don't know, it's weird. I don’t know what else to say about this part… the time between lunch and dinner was kind of uneventful. Oh! Except the sunset! I watched the sunset too, it was pretty neat. Not as cool as the sunrise, but still, pretty cool. Well, I guess it was just as neat? It's basically the same thing, just the opposite. No, the sunrise was definitely better. A lot more peaceful and relaxing. But I digress. Then it was dinner time where a live band was playing. They took up so much electricity that our haimas weren't lit! After dinner, I watched the stars for a bit and then went to bed, I was very tired again. Heat and sun and socializing make me sleepy, I guess.

Sunset in the Sahara.

                The next morning we had breakfast, packed up our stuff, and left the camp. Another fun ride in the 4x4s! Not as fun as driving at night, but still nice. Not as much whooping this time. We were the first jeep to arrive back at our buses so we put our bags in the bus and used a real bathroom for the first time in days. Then we waited, and waited, and waited for the rest of the jeeps to arrive. It took about an hour or so for us to finally depart. We were in the bus pretty much the rest of the day. For the first time, lunch was not included but we didn't stop at a nice place for food so our lunches consisted of Pringles and cookies. SO healthy, I know. Back to the bus. At least this time we got to watch good movies! On the way to the desert, we watched some but they were boring or weird and I was not having it. Although we did watch Mamma Mia! and that is always fun. We finally arrived in Meknes and everyone ran straight to the showers after getting their keys. It had been about 48 hours since our last shower and we were gross. Flies were swarming us at the camp, before we left. Fun.

                After a nice hot, relaxing shower, we went down for a nice dinner, a little bit different this time but nothing too special. Then I went straight to bed so I got about ten hours of sleep. It was so nice to be in a real bed, in a real building. In the morning, we had breakfast and loaded up the buses. Time to go back to Madrid! Or Salamanca, or Barcelona… whichever city you came from. Again, nothing too special to report. We left around 9:00 AM and arrived in Madrid around 7:00 AM. So twenty hours of travelling straight, with little money to spend on food.

                I have class at 8:30 so I was very cranky, I couldn't afford to miss class, I had a presentation to give, and it’s quite a commute from my home stay to school. Fortunately, I was able to shower and pack my schoolbag and get to school with minutes to spare. I had an essay to work on that afternoon so I didn't get to nap and I didn't go to bed until 1:00 AM because of all the reading/essay writing I didn't do on the bus. My bad. Wednesday and Thursday were exhausting, so after lunch I went straight to bed and slept. I woke up at some point and got caught up on my gossip but then went back to bed. It was a very good sleep. Then came the weekend (nothing exciting, just roommate bonding). I guess it's worth mentioning that I didn't get sick after the trip. A lot of people did, for example, my roommate. Poor baby, she had to go to the doctor and miss school. I wasn't sick, but I didn't feel great after getting home. Lack of regular sleep, a weird diet and too much Dramamine probably led to my general malaise. My stomach didn't feel right for a bit, but it didn't interfere with my daily life so I was very fortunate, in that sense.

                Because I don’t feel like making another post, I’m going to quickly talk about my week so far. Yesterday, Tuesday, I went to the movies with my film class. We saw Lo imposible, a Spanish movie with English actors about the Indian Ocean tsunami the occurred the day after Christmas in 2004. It was really stressful and emotional and I cried. A lot. My roommate came with me, even though she’s not taking the film class, and we cried together. It was really good though, I recommend it if movies like that don’t bother you. After the movie, our class went to a bar to discuss the film. Our professor bought us beers! She’s really nice and I’m really enjoying her class. Not everyone in our class came but it was still a nice discussion (my roommate didn't stay for it though).

                Now today, Wednesday, there was this thing called a huelga general, which is basically a 24 hour strike. A lot of stores were closed, the transportation wasn't running at full capacity… basically there was nothing to do because it was sort of risky to go out and everything was closed anyway. Our school decided to dismiss any absences or tardies today so my roommate and I didn't go. Remember, our commute is long and I have no idea how to walk to school. If I had gone, I would have had to wake up really early, possibly wait 30 minutes for the metro, and then get packed in like a sardine with everyone else. Not worth it, especially since I wouldn't get a penalty for not coming. If you have more than two absences, you lose a letter grade or worse. So far I haven’t missed any class! Except today… And for Morocco… But absences due to the Morocco trip were also excused, which I why I went! Well, not the only reason, but it was definitely a factor. Honestly? The main reason I got to go is that I have amazing parents who support me and encourage my adventures. I don’t think I’d be able to go on all these trips without their help. So, thank you, mom and dad, for being amazing parents and great friends! I love you!

                Well… that sure was a long post! Thanks for sticking it out to the end. This weekend is our excursion the Granada, then my dad and Aunt Jan are coming to visit and we’ll be going to Dublin the next weekend. After that I’m going to Rome with a friend, and then I have two more weeks in Spain. One whole weekend in Madrid, and then the next there’s a day trip to Segovia. Then I have finals and on the 20^th of December, I finally start my way home. As much as I love it here, I cannot wait to go home and see my family, cats, and friends. Thankfully, my dad and aunt visiting will give me a little taste of home which will hopefully lessen my homesickness. Or make it worse, I don’t know.

                Anyway, next week look forward to a post about Granada! I will try and write it Monday because I know that after dad and Jan arrive, I won’t even think about computers... Only a little.

El Escorial, Salamanca, y Ávila

El Escorial

                The last weekend of October we finally had our second excursion! We went to El Escorial, Salamanca and Ávila. We left Friday morning for El Escorial, a small town about an hour outside of Madrid. There we went to a monastery and took a guided tour for about two hours. We weren't allowed to take pictures, boo. FUN FACT: The monastery is shaped like a grill because the matyr that it was named after was roasted alive. After our tour we had free time for lunch before we had to meet to make our way to Salamanca. My host mom packed me a lunch so I didn't have to spend any money but I did find some popcorn and marshmallow ghost Peeps that I had to have. It was worth it. From El Escorial we had a two hour bus ride to Salamanca.

The outside of the Monastery.

Salamanca

                First thing we do is check in to our hotel. I think at this point we all took naps and just hung out (I watched the Roommate in Spanish with some friends) until about 9:00 when there was a short walking tour to show us where to eat. We went to Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor but there was some kind of book fair going on so it was hard to take it all in at once, because you couldn't  After finishing our mini tour, we went back to one of the restaurants for some drinks, tapas, and talking. We hung out for a while and then went back to the hotel. Pretty much everyone else decided to go to the bars but I was really tired and had a some midterms to study for so I stayed in and went to bed early.

                The next day we had breakfast in the hotel, lots of fruit and pastries, it was so good! Then we began our walking tour of Salamanca. It’s a very small town so walking everywhere is the norm. We started at a cathedral and spent a while there exploring. We got a behind the scenes tour and got to climb to the roof and get a bird’s eye view of the town. It was very neat, but very cold and heats freak me out a bit so, um, it was an interesting experience. After our cathedral tour we went to tour la Universidad Salamanca. It’s the oldest (?) university in existence and honestly it was a little boring. We were all cold and tired and hungry but it was still neat to be there. I ended up buying a university sweatshirt (it came in handy in Morocco) and some earrings that are apparently very common in Salamanca. On our trip in Morocco, other ISA cities from Spain came with us and students from Salamanca recognized my earrings.

The Cathedral, from a distance.

                Anyway, after our tour of the university, we had free time for lunch! Four of us went to a Chinese restaurant by our hotel and it was so good, I have been craving Chinese food ever since I've been here. And don’t judge, Salamanca is still Spain and all I ever eat is Spanish food so don’t judge me for not eating Spanish food. After lunch, we had time for a siesta and then there was an optional tour of some gardens. Of course, I went, and after the gardens tour we got to go a museum. No photos allowed. It was kind of cool, nature inspired art. The best part thought was the café, they had AMAZING hot chocolate! I got normal milk chocolate and I regret that, they had so many flavors. It was so rich and delicious and worth 3€. One of the girls got toffee hot chocolate, I tried it and it was also so good. A small part of me wishes that I had chosen to study in Salamanca so that I could go there every day and try a new flavor.

And look how cute the mugs are! I wish I could have purchased one...

                After our delicious hot chocolate, we went back to the Chinese restaurant for dinner. Okay, feel free to judge now. I had some delicious lemon chicken, yum! There were more plans to go out again that night and even though I wasn't feeling it, I went for about an hour. Probably less, I was very tired and when I’m tired I am no fun. So I went back, studied a bit and slept like a baby.

Ávila

                The next morning we went to Ávila, a small town about an hour from Salamanca (two from Madrid). There we explored the walls surrounding the town and then a cathedral. We had about two hours for lunch before we had to go. We went to a place that had family sized pizza for 12€, which included two drinks. What a deal! Except the service was awful. In Spain, waiters don’t live off of tips, they get a regular paycheck so they don’t need to be nice to their customer but usually service is so much better. We waited about twenty to thirty minutes for our drinks and then longer for our food. We never even got our bill, but we knew the prices so we left our Euros and fled. Before we got to our meeting point, we stopped to get some souvenirs. I didn't go overboard for once!

Just hanging out on the wall.

                Finally, we made our way home. It was a fun little trip but nothing too terribly exciting. Anyway, kudos to me for getting two blog posts done in one day! Let’s see if I have one more in me, and then I’ll be caught up! I know you are all dying to hear about my adventures in Morocco.

                ¡Ciao!

Tres semanas en Madrid

                So… I am way behind on my blogging and for that, I apologize. I had a lot going on the past few weeks! Midterms, papers, week long excursions to Africa, you know. In my last blog I said that I was going to work on my next post as soon as possible. I lied, sorry. I was going to, I promise! But then I didn't  So this blog post is going to focus on my three weekends in a row that I spent in Madrid. Later, I will post about my weekend trip to Salamanca with my program and then a third post about my trip to Morocco! I shouldn't have that much work to do this weekend so I have no excuse to not write these posts. If I don’t write them… permission to scold me.

                Anyway, after spending three weekends travelling, I needed a break. I hadn't had much time to explore Madrid so I was looking forward to three weekends at my home away from home. The first weekend in October was great. The weather was really nice, sunny but not too hot. That weekend… what did I do? I went shopping with a friend, I don’t think I actually bought anything but it was nice to get out and be with other people. That Saturday, I went to the Madrid Zoo! It was awesome, to say the least. It was pretty big, not too far from me, and not that expensive. They had lots of cool animals and shows and an aquarium. I was nice to not really be in the city for the day. Even though there were signs that said don’t feed the animals, a lot of people were throwing food to them. I have some great pictures of people throwing baguettes at the bears!

Look at this big guy, begging for food.

                My friend and I had a small lunch, my host mom packed me some sandwiches; she’s the best. We saw the sea lions put on a show and that was neat to experience in Spanish. The show itself was very similar to the ones at Sea World or any other zoo but this was in Spanish! I understood everything pretty well, I think it helped that it was probably a show targeted toward children. Nonetheless, it was very enjoyable.

                Even though I had a great time at the zoo, there were some problems for me. It was kind of dirty, the water didn't look too clean and I felt bad for the animals. Also, people feeding the animals freaked me out! You can’t do that in the US without getting kicked out. It made me nervous, and I don’t think the animals should be eating people food. Then there were all these birds that were chained to the ground instead of being in enclosed spaces where they could fly. T hat made me sad, and some of the birds were bald eagles! America’s bird should be flying free, not chained to the ground!

Pobrecito.

                The next morning, I went the el rastro (the giant flea market) again to buy souvenirs for all my people. I think I spent too much… some of the stalls were the same but others seemed new so I had to check them out and of course having Euros on me didn't help. Somehow, I managed to buy new earrings and scarves and I really have no self control. I probably shouldn't be allowed to return to el rastro. After that, my friend came over for lunch since my roommate was with her boyfriend (he came to visit, so sweet!) and my host mom was out. I think my friend really enjoyed herself, she was very jealous of my homestay so I’m feeling very lucky to have been placed where I am.

                The next weekend was a very lazy, rainy weekend. The weather wasn't so great, very gray and drizzly. I went to dinner with a friend from school on Thursday night; we had margaritas, nachos, and a burrito. It was interesting, we met up and then spent about an hour walking, trying to find a good place. Mexican food isn't my favorite but I was getting hungry and I do love a good margarita. The rest of the weekend my roommate and I hung out together, we made guacamole (her favorite), watched a movie, and went shopping (are you sensing a pattern?) We needed to buy some clothes for our trip to Morocco, I didn't bring any long sleeve shirts with me (I don’t believe in sleeves) and we had to cover up in the cities. And honestly, that was about all I did. I know, so boring, so lazy… sorry I’m not sorry. It was very relaxing and enjoyable.

                Wait, forgot to mention that I met the rest of Elisa’s family! On Sunday, our host mom had friends and family over for afternoon tea. I think they had a funeral to go to and the custom is to have tea? I’m not sure why exactly they came but it was fun. The tea was good, there were tasty little desserts and it was neat to meet everyone.

                The next weekend my roommate went to Dublin so I was home alone! It wasn't too bad, Thursday night I stayed in and got caught up on my shows. The next day I went shopping (three weeks in a row, I’m bad I know. But I don’t think I bought anything) and for dinner we went to Plaza Mayor to have calamari sandwiches. They were pretty good but I only half of mine, I have a thing with weird textures and calamari is give or take for me. After that, we met up with some friends of my friend, a German guy and a French girl. We were in Lavapiés, a neighborhood where they were having Tapapiés, certain bars had tapas and beer for a Euro each. That was fun but very crowded! I left around midnight because I am old and I get tired early. Haha, just kidding. Maybe. I wanted to be able to take the metro back home (it closes around one, I think) and I had been up for a while.

                The next day was another lounge around the apartment day but for dinner I went a met a friend at a restaurant called Delhi, she’s Indian (but from Pennsylvania) and was really craving India food so we went and had dinner. It was so delicious! Also, good reminders for us, my first experience with Indian food was with two of my best friends (hi, Cinta and Lauren!) and it made me miss them but also glad that I have them in my life. Does that make sense? Am I getting too sappy? Okay, moving on.

                After dinner, I went and met my friend (she goes to Ohio State!) and we went to the apartment of some of her friends to party. And by party I mean watch dubbed TV, drink and eat. We hung out there until about… 2:30 AM and then we went to a club to dance. The cover charge was hella expensive (16€ *expletive*) but it was worth it. A lot of Spaniards do this, they drink before they go to the clubs because it’s so expensive but a drink is included in the cover. Anyway, we stayed (there were four of us) and danced until the club closed around 7:00 in the morning. The metro doesn't open until 6:30 anyway so I would have been stuck walking, taking a cab, or waiting for the metro. It was better that we danced until seven, believe it or not. I finally got home around 7:30 and immediately fell into bed.

                I got up around 1:30 that afternoon and wandered into the kitchen for a light snack before lunch. That’s when I noticed that the table was already set for six people. Normally, it’s only me and my roommate (who is in Ireland at this point), our host mom, Elisa, and her daughter, Paloma. Which makes four. Minus my roommate. So obviously that meant people were coming over and I looked like hell so I decided showering might be the best option. Elisa´s family came over again, her daughter Paloma and her husband Christoph (not sure if that’s the correct spelling, he’s half German! So obviously we spoke ein bischen deutsch). Elisa’s granddaughters were there two, they are 14 and 12, I think Blanca and Belen. Their parents weren't there though, their mom has cancer, I met her at the tea party we had.

                We had a nice family dinner and they weren't too shocked when I said that I came home at 7:00 in the morning. It’s the norm here in Spain, for the youngsters. In the afternoon, my roommate came home and she told me all about Dublin. I’m going there soon and am very excited, I got a nice preview!

                Anyway, wow, once written down it seems like I did a lot! But this post is three weekends worth of adventures so I guess it’s not too bad. But there you have it, my weekends in Madrid! I only have a couple left, this weekend included so I need to finally go and explore some museums. Maybe I can do that when my dad and aunt come! WHICH I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

                Okay, look forward to my post about Salamanca real soon! ¡Luego!